


Reclaiming the wonder of the Three Kingdoms

by depresane



Category: Original Work, Tommelise | Thumbelina - Hans Christian Andersen
Genre: Adultery, Adventure, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Escape, Fairy Tale Elements, Fictional politics, Mess, Murder, Self-Defense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:20:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21550678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/depresane/pseuds/depresane





	Reclaiming the wonder of the Three Kingdoms

Seven rivers flowed in the kingdom of Oicalon. The first river marked a borderline; the second one was linked to a sea; the third one benefited farmers and artisans; the fourth one ended with a crystal clear lake in the woods; the fifth one merged with the third river; the sixth one turned quickly and left the country; the seventh one dashed through a remarkable waterfall and whirled wildly until it fused with the second river.  
A castle stood near the waterfall, high on a mountain range, but not at the top. Built upon a gray foundation, covered in white tiles, the castle shone bright with golden details; there were no corners exposed as old-fashioned towers strengthened its structure.  
Every evening, servants placed lamps at specific spots, situated far away from the wooden interiors. Windows were shut, carpets were rolled, additional mirrors were fixed behind candles.  
A lady stretched her arms as her dress was being removed. She sat on a stool and waited in the changing room. Her hair straight, her skin tanned, her stomach just slightly chubby, her mole on her right calf as black as ink.  
A new servant entered the room, carefully carrying a pair of brown trousers. Another one was holding a matching jacket and a casual shirt, both folded. One more servant brought a pair of flat shoes without laces.  
This time the lady was being told how to unfold the clothes and put them on. She couldn’t tame buttons, tossing around, waving her hands and stomping. Next, the servants held and cut the lady’s long hair, shaping it unevenly and very messily. She shivered. Blue tears smeared her makeup; her facial muscles cracked it like an old, neglected painting. The woman wheezed and choked, gripping her thighs.  
“Your Majesty,” spoke one of the servants, “this has nothing to do with Your customs; it’s for…”  
“I know,” she replied, “but I can feel how light my head is… how naked my shoulders seem… Even those clothes feel different, harsh.”

Meanwhile, three men were discussing an impending matter in a corridor.  
“Your Majesty, do you still insist…?” argued a nobleman, only to be interrupted by a tanned man, who was wearing a square crown with hanging beads.  
“Yes. Tolnainan spies will expect her in a chariot. In fact, I may send one as a decoy.”  
“Empty?”  
“No. With two soldiers inside. Now, let me think.” The king summoned the third man with two bends of his fingers. “Masumi must go with one servant. They should know a little bit about the world. Still, I am hesitating to send a man.”  
“If I may suggest…”  
“I would appreciate it.”  
“Your Majesty, there’s that ginger servant, from the coast. He… How should I say it…”  
“He lives behind the fence?”  
“That’s but my interpretation.”  
“Call him here.”

Masumi, already with a cleaned up face and completed haircut, fastened correctly a belt with a scabbard. She reached out and took a rapier off the wall. She secured the weapon on her side.  
She proceeded to an end table where a much shorter sheath lay. She noticed a tiny stain on a handle. It made her shut her eyes.

The ginger servant bowed. “Your Majesty.”  
The king turned away from his consultants. “Excuse us.”  
As they were talking in secrecy, Masumi left the changing room. She kept rubbing her palms against the jacket.  
The nobleman gave her a backpack. “Your Majesty, inside You will find spare clothes, soap, and other private items.” Next, he showed her a purse. “This selection of jewellery is relatively new. No history, no regrets. You may pay with it or exchange it for currency.”  
“Thank you.”  
The other consultant was holding a sheet of paper. “These instructions are written in the wedge script for we believe the Tolnainans cannot read it. Still, if Your Majesty found some time to memorize them and destroy the paper, it would be exceedingly convenient to us all.”  
“I shall do as you suggest.” She nodded.  
“We are conflicted on whether You would need a pistol. Maybe that servant could be equipped with it.”  
She tilted to take a better look at the man in question. “I mean, neither Antoine nor I were trained… We would be shot before we could load it.”  
“No, no, the pistol is already primed and loaded.”  
“For one shot.”  
“Aye.”  
She gripped her scabbard. “That might actually be worse.”  
“Perhaps, Your Majesty could simply threaten an aggressor without firing.”  
“I would rather not.”  
The king returned to the group, with Antoine to his right. “I have concluded that he can accompany Masumi.”  
She shut her eyes for three seconds.  
“Her Majesty refuses to take the pistol.”  
“Naturally. Explain to Antoine how to fire. I shall talk to her.”  
As the noblemen were presenting a flintlock pistol to the servant, the king walked away with Masumi.  
He began, offended, “I saw that.”  
“Good.”  
“This is not about… Look, if you leave with a woman, you will look suspicious.”  
She snapped, “You should have said that to yourself.”  
He gasped, then bit his own fist.  
Her stoic pose contrasted with her tone. “We have to settle this before I go. I am done. I thought you wanted an heir; then, I thought you wanted bliss; after that, I didn’t know anymore. Because you humiliated me. I had to ask doctors… how to undo what you’ve done to me. And right when I found a cure, you started vanishing. Finally, last night!…” She paused to clear the bitterness in her throat. “You did this to us. I had to recover while you were with her. I had to defend myself while you were _in_ her, shoving her own filth up her crotch!”  
“Vulgarity will not solve this.”  
“So won’t formality. All the respect I had for you is gone. I don’t want to waste myself on you, and sending me with the flower boy won’t keep me locked. You can declare our marriage null and void – in fact, you should.” She pushed through one sentence, chuckling. “Knowing you, you shan’t.”  
He boiled inside, frowning and shaking.  
She lifted her head. “Tell me – did you really believe you could appease your parents, Oicalon, me, and her by being a coward?”  
She didn’t flinch when he grabbed his crown and tossed it before his feet. She watched as he removed three rings from his fingers and threw them in three directions.  
At last, he replied loudly, “May my beloved parents in Paradise, the precious land of Oicalon, Her Majesty Rai Masumi, and Lady Shusen Ikase all know that I am a coward. I hereby pronounce my marriage with Her Majesty Rai annulled. Her Majesty Rai remains the Queen of Oicalon and is allowed to pursue a new relationship. Thus spoke the King.”

Night sang above a field of flowers. A sparrow offered his wing to a tiny little teenage girl, trying to lull her to sleep. But whenever she seemed to be drifting away, her dreams stiffened her arms and brought tears to her eyes.  
“Mama… I’m sorry, mommy…”  
The sparrow rocked her like an infant. “It’s not your fault. It’s never been your fault.”


End file.
